Return to the Dying Planet
by Khissy
Summary: Humans have been driven off of Pandora, leaving Jake and his companions to rebuild, but how will mankind fare? Will the lessons learned on Pandora change the way they treat their planet? Rated for minimal swearing, no adult themes for now.
1. The Beginning of a Long Journey

James Cameron didn't really explore Earth very much throughout the movie (which I am in love with) but I've seen a few pictures of what it's supoosed to look like during the events of the movie and it's pretty bleak.

The details about Earth that I've used are found on the Avatar wikia and (I think) the book on Avatar.

Anyways, Avatar obviously is not my franchise, and this is just a fictional piece of work based on it.

Please enjoy!

* * *

The RDA's voyage back to Earth was pathetic; few of the men sent out to war with the Na'vi had survived.

Jake watched the Sky People depart, feeling no lingering connection to them and their distraught planet. Jake understood he was born a human on Earth, but Earth didn't feel like his home, he had no close relatives there after the death of his brother, and his friends had mostly died in the conflict that cost him his legs.

The dying world was overpopulated and polluted; most large land and sea creatures were extinct, and forests with beautiful, dense greenery were but a distant memory. The planet had so far exceeded its capacity for humans that the RDA had to breed and flavor algae to feed the masses.

The Earth was indeed no place to be coveted, regardless of any vast advances in technology.

Keeping a close eye on the Sky People from atop a pa'li, Jake spotted Parker Selfridge, the bastard responsible for the loss of kelutrel and hundreds of Na'vi lives. He hopped swiftly off his mount and lifted Selfridge by the back off his shirt, bringing Parker's face to his own.

The people near Parker stopped, one raising a small gun, only to have it snatched up by Neytiri, who snarled.

Jake looked deep into Parker's eyes, they were full of fear and loss, yet the face of the man so full of greed that he caused the deaths of families, warriors, and the sacred trees of Eywa only angered Jake. He hissed at Parker, his ears shifting backwards and his nose wrinkling like a cat's. Parker let out a whimper, eyeing the sharp teeth.

"Jake…" Neytiri warned, sensing her mate's anger.

"This man caused the loss of Hometree and the deaths of so many of our brothers, of your father!" Jake growled.

"Yes, Jake, but Eywa will not like this anger in your heart." She said. "They are leaving. They know Eywa's pride deep in their hearts now."

"Jake," Parker interjected shakily, drawing both the Na'vi's attention. "You betrayed us. You betrayed Earth. Do you know what's gonna happen down there now? Without Unobtainium, the transit system will be shot."

"Well maybe you should find a solution that doesn't involve killing and destroying. If only you could understand, if only you could _see_..." Jakes eyes lit up curiously as he motioned to the world around him. "This is paradise, this is what Earth _should_ be like, but greedy fools like you destroyed it. You Sky People will have to realize that exploiting Pandora is immoral. It cost living beings their lives and homes, and it will incur the wrath of Eywa. Every last Na'vi, Banshee, even the Great Leonopteryx will fight to its dying breath for Pandora. Remember that."

With that, Jake half-threw Parker to the ground. "Get lost. Maybe you'll find the solution your planet's problems isn't a rock."

_Later..._

Parker looked around him as the last of the RDA readied either for cryo or for piloting the ISV Venture Star back home. They had only enough food for 50 to 100 to stay awake during the trip, not that very many people wanted to stay awake during the 6 year voyage.

Parker stared at Pandora through the windows of the ship. The planet was a real beauty from outer space, comparable to Earth several centuries prior. But today, human contact with the lush planet, save for the few people allowed to stay, would end permanently. There was only enough fuel and unobtainium for one last trip, and resources on Earth were too expensive to send it back.

'At least I've got a few years to spend before the RDA kills me for screwing this up, I guess.' Parker thought to himself.

He would report to the heads of the RDA in a few hours, and God help him then.


	2. Proposals

OMG Thanks everyone for the reviews and everything! I was nervous because this is one of the few writing of mine available for people to see. ^^;

I made a tiny mistake when I said that Parker would report to the 'heads' of the RDA. I did my research and realized it should have been 'other heads,' from what I understand, Parker runs the RDA. Sorry about that one.

Avatar is not mine blahblahblah.

Please enjoy!

* * *

"In other words, those of us who are left are returning to Earth, the unobtainum we do have will be put to proper use."

Parker turned off and sent the transmission with a sigh. Messages could be sent to targets across space in a few hours, but the technology wasn't advanced enough for two objects over a lightyear away to communicate live. He felt pretty damn lucky for that; the other RDA heads, his peers, were going to have his ass as soon as they got the message.

"What a mess." He mumbled to himself.

He remembered when he started this job. He'd put in countless hours of extra work to rise to the top. The job would make him a hero, people would remember him, look up to him, and he'd have it all. Not like the blue monkeys and their pretty trees didn't matter to him, but Earth was his first priority, and it needed saving. But now that that ex-marine had ruined everything, and he'd have to find a new solution, the public would be undoubtedly depending on him for one.

It wasn't fair. This was supposed to help Earth. Things were supposed to change! As if the future wasn't bleak enough, now they would have to cut back and find a new alternative within a few decades.

A knock on the door caused Parker to jump.

"What do you want?" He shouted.

The door opened to reveal one of the pilots.

"Sir, we've calculated the trip's duration. We have much less cargo than we did on the trip here, so we will be able to travel faster. It will only take 4 years to return." He reported.

"Well isn't that some damn good news. When will we start off?"

"Within the hour, sir."

"Fantastic. I trust you to pilot this chunk of metal well."

"Yes, sir."

The pilot took his leave. Parker opened up a new video log and began recording.

"Hey. Things didn't go so well after all. Guess you were right about all that tree hugging eywa whatever non-sense. But I have good news, I'm coming back early."

He paused to take a breath.

"I-uh, I miss you. I wish you would've come with me, even though this whole mission was a waste. We're not gonna be able to travel back to Pandora with the resources we use, and it'll cost too much money to get them on Earth. I know how much you love hearing about the tall blue things and the plants, and it looks like that's gone. I feel like I've failed you, but if you'll forgive a man his sins, I could use your help. Earth is in an energy and economic crisis, and people are gonna be counting on the RDA for the solution. I hate those people for what they did, but there are bigger roaches to kill now. So I'm sorry for screwing this all up, but please help me. I love you."

Parker turned off the transmission and sent the message.

"45 minutes until departure." A voice announced over the intercom.

Parker sat back in his chair again too ready for this nightmare to be over. The screen began to beep, signaling an incoming conference request. He checked the info on it.

The transmission was coming from the base on Pandora.

Parker reluctantly accepted the request and the holographic screen expanded, revealing Norm Spellman and Jake Sully, both in human form.

"Hello, Parker." Jake said curtly. "Looks like you're having fun."

"Yeah, it's a real damn party up here trying to account for all the dead." He snapped.

Jake flushed a little bit in anger.

"Well at least you don't have scraps of burning metal and a dead tree that people used to call home lying around!" Jake fumed.

"Jake." Norm interjected. "We're not here for this. Look Parker, I know you're not happy to see us, and we're not happy to see you, but Earth is still where we were born, and we are still concerned for its fate. You're one of the few people given the... _privilege _of worldwide attention. Everyone is going to want answers and solutions."

"Tell me something I don't know. You're wasting my time."

"No, our proposal won't be a waste of time at all. In fact, it might save you time." Norm said. "How about it? Or have you been so corrupted by greed that you won't listen? We've got no problem leaving you to figure things out all by yourself."

Parker pondered a moment. Why should he listen to these traitors? They couldn't have the solution. But Norm was right, people wanted a solution. Maybe it was worth a try.

"If this is some plot to destroy us, this ship will leave in less than an hour, and then you'll never have to worry about us trying to return to Pandora."

"Oh we'll be ready for you if you dare come back, don't you worry about that you son of a-" Jake began.

"We're not concerned with destroying anything." Norm cut in again. "We're concerned with helping our former planet. Will you listen?"

"...What's your 'proposal?'" Parker asked.

* * *

I wasnt sure whether to split this part into two chapters, but I wanted to provide a nice beefy chapter, so there it is!

With this story basically I've got the main plot skeleton and I'm slapping on the finer details as I write, so reviews with suggestions, critiques, corrections, comments etc. are very helpful. Thanks for sticking with me guys! :D

Fun Fact: This is written the way Parker sees and feels it 90% of the time, so though Parker thinks humans will not be able to return to Pandora or contact it, the base on Pandora is still functional, and it could be possible to send small amounts of people back, if the terrible economic crisis is fixed and new energy is used. But in this fic, humans will not be returning to Pandora. I might explore the possibility in later works though.

Eywa ngahu.


	3. Plans

Thanks again everyone for the support and reviews! I've been putting in loads of research to figure out what's what. And to the person who mentioned it, yes, I wanted the Avatar field guide SO BADLY. I finally got it the other day and it is going to be a GIANT help in writing this fanfiction.

Avatar is not mine; this story is simply a work of fiction based on the movie.

This chapter has a lot more content to cover than the last few, so it should turn out being much longer than the others. Enjoy!

* * *

Jake turned off the computer screen and heaved a sigh of relief. Never the tech genius, he'd always had difficulty working video logs and conferences. Norm had left earlier after the conference with Parker, it had gone surprisingly well.

_This ship will leave in less than an hour, and then you'll never have to worry about us trying to return to Pandora._

Parker's words echoed over and over in his mind. The words brought him a sense of peace. It was over. It was over and they could rebuild, he could live happily with his mate, his friends, and his people. He'd probably never know if Parker would use the knowledge he and Norm offered, but his spirit was at ease with the knowledge that they'd done what they could for both worlds.

He exhaled contentedly and thought of his mate as he wheeled himself away from the computer and the linking station. Tonight was going to be a big night, it was his birthday, and he didn't want to be late to his own party.

------------

The ISV Venture star had finally departed. Parker paced back and forth in his quarters. He theorized that part of the reason why he wasn't having a breakdown was because of the long amount of time he'd have before he got back to Earth, but it didn't make matters any less pressing.

Parker played his meeting with the two traitors over and over again in his head. They had proposed a possible solution to the Earth's problems, but it would take years of work on his part and on that of the entire human race. Humans would have to change and alter the way they thought, lived, and functioned. The solution they'd offered didn't _sound_ like a plot to destroy the Earth or anything of the sort, but who knew?

With nothing but their cunning minds and primitive weapons, they figured out how to take out Quaritch and the vast majority of the military force, which made up a larger part of Pandora's temporary human population than it might seem. But the military were just old retired war dogs or kids trying to prove something to no one in particular; most of them probably didn't have any family anyways, but the loss of Quaritch was really a thorn in his side. Now there would be no fighting back. Quaritch was brutal, but there was probably no better man for the job than he, and now, without anyone issuing commands and orders, his forces didn't have a reason to fight. They had no country and no cause to fight for. Parker happened to speak with one of the ex-marines and asked him what his motives were, the marine simply answered, 'None. They're payin' me to come out here and fight, might as well come for the change in scenery. I've got no family an' no friends back home.'

The scientists on the other hand, had every reason to travel to Pandora. They were ridiculously enthusiastic. Even though Parker didn't care much for the nerdy types, they were extremely grateful for the opportunity he alone had given them, and respectful of him. That's the way he wanted all of Earth to feel. It was Parker's destiny to 'save' Earth, he just knew it. The people of Earth longed to resolve the conflicts between countries and reduce pollution, as well as end the energy crisis.

Unfortunately, unobtainium was no longer a viable option, though the rather expensive rock was reusable to a certain extent. By using unobtainium, the need for power-producing plants would have been reduced, and the factories on the moon could be shut downand less toxins would be released into the environment. However, the scientists and researchers seemed to think that introducing Pandoran plants to the Earth would be a solution, but that could be dangerous, so he 'tweaked' the information that was handed out to the public. But now he wasn't sure what to tell the public.

He let his thoughts fall back to his chat with Norm and Jake.

"...and we've determined that these samples may be able to improve the quality of air, water, plants, and even provide food or fuel, but only if you do your part. Earth can't keep using the energy it does, the factories pollute too much. You will have to do what our ancestors failed to do in the 20th and 21st centuries." Norm said.

"You'll have to start changing the way people fuel their cars, their homes, and their lives, or risk losing lots of technology." Jake concluded.

"We've used the same energy sources for years." Parker interjected. "Why now?"

"There's only so much unobtainium, definitely not enough to go around, and other energy sources are limited, and their continued use has started to make the planet uninhabitable. You said that you wouldn't be able to return, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then it may already be too late. Pandora's secrets have great potential to help the Earth, if you won't be able to return, then you will have to just work with the samples that are on the ship and on Earth, and that isn't very many, it may not be enough. I assume you can't return because energy costs are rising. After global warming in the 21st century was found to be far less severe than scientists first thought, politicians, influential figures, and celebrities just stopped caring, and so did everyone else, but you're the head of the RDA, people will listen to you. You have followers, Parker, you can do this, if you can first get pollution and chemical dumping reduced, then you have a very good chance with what we've provided you."

"And why should I follow your advice? The two of you defected, led those _freaks _against us and killed half of our military force, and to top that off, stole those bodies, funding for which came right out of my pocket."

Jake's expression hardened, and Norm put a hand on his shoulder.

"You have a good reason for not trusting us, but try to understand that we aren't doing this to help or hurt you, we're doing it to help Earth. Soon, no one will be able to live on Earth because of the pollution and toxicity. Parker, you _must _do this if you really care about helping the Earth. It isn't just your life at stake here. Scientists have done extensive research on what could happen if humans continue to pollute and release chemicals into the environment for even just 20 more years. It would be catastrophic, but no one listens or seems to care."

"But the use of whatever it is that you have could be worse for the Earth than what's going on now." Parker argued.

"If it will save the human race, is it _not_ worth risks?" Jake asked.

Parker sighed. Jake was right.

"Alright, but what am I supposed to do with all this stuff? I don't know how it works and I don't know what to do with it. Where is it, anyways?" He asked.

"Someone will meet with you eventually to discuss that, _if_ you are willing to use our approach." Norm replied. "We have to go, there's a lot to be done, and I'm sure you have your own business to take care of. The base here on Pandora will remain functional if you ever need to speak with us. I hope you'll consider what we've told you."

The transmission shut off with a loud 'blip.'

Parker swung back and forth in his chair, tapping his forehead. This may be, no, it _was_ his only option. But how would he go about it? He wasn't excited about rescinding published RDA documents and stating that they were not true, but perhaps that would be better than someone else in a high position finding out and telling the public. Then no one would trust him or the RDA.

He checked a clock. It was late and he had begun to get sleepy. _Far too much excitement for one day,_ he mused, scratching his unkempt hair.

The computer beeped, pulling him from his thoughts. He wasn't in the mood for any more conferences today, especially not with the RDA.

He heaved a sigh of relief when he checked the screen; it wasn't the RDA headquarters after all, it was his sister. He accepted the conference request, the screen promptly expanded, and before him sat a woman with messy brown hair. She looked angry.

"Idiot!" She screamed. "Didn't I _tell_ you this would happen?!"

"Ever since you were 12, Brenna." Parker chuckled.

She heaved a sigh.

"Anyways, I thought you didn't want my help fixing things. You got pretty upset with me when I threatened to expose the RDA's lies. If I remember correctly, we haven't spoken very much since then. What makes us all buddy-buddy now?" She asked.

"I didn't do that because I get some sort of thrill out of lying. It was to protect the public. You're my sister, please help me." He asked firmly.

"You lied to serve your own desire for money. Parker this is serious. Your greed is going to destroy the Earth!"

"Will you help me save it, then? The right way?"

She leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. She took a deep, rhythmic breath and opened them.

"Fine, but we'll talk about it later, I have a meeting." She said sharply.

"Still hanging with the hippie crowd?"

"Those _hippies_ and I are doing what you should have been doing this whole time. And we've made progress, more progress than you've made, apparently. I hear the Na'vi kicked your asses pretty hard."

"The RDA already announced it?" He asked, surprised.

"Yes, and people want answers. They say that even warring countries have called a truce until they hear what happened, and what's _going_ to happen, from you."

"I've got this figured out, Brenna, but it won't be easy."

"I hope for your sake you do have this figured out." Brenna said.

The transmission cut off. Brenna stood from her chair. She wasn't happy with Parker or what he had done, but she still loved her brother, he was stupid, selfish, and greedy, but he was ambitious, and both of them had many connections, maybe they could pull this off.

She straightened her necklace, put her hair back into a ponytail, and walked out the door.

------------

Parker turned off the computer and locked the door to his quarters, wanting no more interruptions. He removed his shirt and pants, leaving only an undershirt and boxers, and settled onto a bed. He and his sister had ended badly the last time they had spoken, but he did miss her, and he wanted her help not just because he knew he couldn't do this alone, but because he wanted to be a team again, like when they were kids.

Reminiscing on his childhood, Parker fell into a much needed sleep.

* * *

Hope you liked it, sorry this took FOREVAR. ^^;;

I'm still trying to figure out how I should write these chapters, I'm aiming to make them longer so that no chapter is less than 2000 words, and I also think I need to fill the chapters out with a bit more sensory detail.

Once again, I have discovered another mistake and gone back and fixed it, apparently communication can be instantaneous between Earth and a target as far away as Pandora. I'll try to avoid big mistakes like this from now on, I had no idea the field guide even addressed things like that, haha. I'm not writing exactly by the book, but it is good to have some accuracy.

Fun Fact: Avatar, according to Wikipedia and IMDB, became the SECOND highest grossing film of all time in just 20 days, right after, yet another James Cameron epic, Titanic. At over 1.7 billion, it could very well overtake Titanic's 13-year, 1.8 billion record within a week!

So thanks, precious readers and reviewers, you've all helped a lot. I'm still open to suggestions, corrections, comments, etc. Hu nga Eywa.


	4. Dreams and Awakenings

Hey, everyone! Oel ngati Kameie.

Obviously, it has been _way way way waaay _too long. I'm sorry for my ginormous absence, but yes, I'm here, I'm alive, everything's good. haha

Hopefully today's chapter will be pretty interesting. I'm trying to represent here that parker's still somewhat of a close-minded, greedy jerk, but part of him _is _starting to understand the gravity of Earth's situation.

These ' ' mean that it's in Na'vi.

Remember to review or add this story if you like it!

Enjoy!

* * *

Parker's eyes snapped open, but he was no longer in his quarters. A beautiful, blue face loomed above him, smiling; it looked like the face of someone he knew, but blue and catlike, clearly Na'vi. He sat up, finding himself surrounded by lush forest, teeming with color and majesty. He looked down at his body, jumping a bit to find that it was striped with blue and dotted with strange white marks.

"Finally, you're awake!" The woman exclaimed.

"What-" He stopped, puzzled, she clearly wasn't speaking English, but he understood her.

"What's… going on? Who are you?" He asked.

"Come."

She snapped up and turned around, starting down a path. Parker stared at her, baffled.

"Skxawng," She said, and ran up to him, grabbing his hand. "Come."

Parker scurried clumsily after her, barely avoiding smacking into a large, stiff tree limb. Never the athlete in his younger days, his lack of balance and speed seemed to present themselves now more than ever. If he couldn't keep up, however, he feared that the lady in front of him would simply drag him along the rugged terrain

He focused more on the small obstacles, and with some success, began to evade them. As he ran, he slowly became more aware of his surroundings, his stumbles and trips over rocks and branches became graceful leaps and dodges. He still didn't know what was happening, but it felt good to run. It felt kind of liberating, actually. He smiled a small smile. The woman, seeming to notice this, turned and beamed at him, releasing his hand.

They continued to travel for what could have been an hour. She halted and reached up to a small bell shaped leaf, heavy with water, and brought it down to her face, drinking from it. Finding a leaf, Parker followed suit, surprised at the sweetness of the water. Drinking water on Earth was packed with minerals and other additives that made the water taste odd. While Parker was drinking, the woman hopped up to a broad branch and sat cross-legged on it.

Parker looked worriedly at the tree; he had never even climbed a rope. She patted a space on the branch near where she sat. He started to climb the tree, but couldn't reach the branch. Smiling, the woman offered her hand and in a strong, swift motion, pulled him up.

Parker settled on the branch across from the woman.

"Will you tell me who you are now?" He asked.

"I am called Eywa."

"Isn't that the blue people's little pretend deity or whatever?"

"I am not 'pretend.' And I am more than a deity, child. I am the spirit of the land. The spirit of Pandora."

Parker began to wonder if he was high on some sort of drug.

"This is ridiculous. I must've really hit the booze or something this time."

"You simply cannot see." Eywa sighed.

"Okay... I'll play along." Parker started. "If you are the spirit of Pandora, why are you here? I don't know what's happening but last time I checked, we were traveling away from Pandora."

"But I am here, on this very vessel of yours. I know the memories of all those who's spirits now rest with me. The spirits of your kind are with me, as well. I see their memories of your home, and it is very troubling. Yours is a world full of imbalance and lies."

"Wait. That was in English. How do you know how to speak English?" Parker asked, puzzled.

"Each spirit that rests inside me knows different and unique things, so I too know those things. My people do not have specific words for 'lie' or 'imbalance.'"

"Right… Anyways, I don't know why I'm here but I've got work to do, so unless I'm dead, I need to be getting back to the ship. How did I get here, anyways?"

The world around him began to darken, purple, orange, and gold painting the trees.

"You did not 'get' here, you have been right here for quite some time." She answered.

Parker wondered if she was just trying to confuse him now. Of course he'd been right there for a while, they had been sitting there for at least thirty minutes. And what did she mean he didn't 'get' there?

She seemed to read his thoughts.

"Your body is still in your bed, but your spirit is here, with me."

"So I'm just having a dream, then." He said, relieved.

"You could call it that, but it is more than just a dream, just as you see me in your sleep, I see you."

"That makes no sense, I'm having a dream, and my mind is making this all up."

"No, my child, this is not a trick that your mind is playing on you. I am here on this ship, and while you sleep I have reached out to you so I may help teach you what you need to know."

"You're crazy. Or I'm crazy. This is all in my head." Parker said.

"Skxawng." Eywa said.

"Stop calling me that!" He fumed.

"An infant can see more than you. All your life, you have taken opportunities, yet you have also closed yourself from really believing things you can't understand." The deity insisted.

"Look, I know what I know, and what I know is how to run the RDA and live on that God-forsaken rock called Earth. There's nothing more to life and nothing less."

"But there _is_, child. You will not be able to save your home thinking like that. But I have no more patience for now. Perhaps another can convince you to begin to see."

With that, the sky darkened, revealing a beauty unknown to Parker, even considering his time on Pandora. He looked about him; everything glowed with bioluminescence and life. The tree under him seemed to breathe and whisper. He looked back up, but Eywa was gone.

Hundreds of days seemed to pass by, he saw all the old RDA equipment that was left behind be overgrown by plants and used as homes by various animals. The mining pits left behind faded as Pandora once again reclaimed them and filled them with lush new foliage and fresh, clear water. Parker saw all of his equipment disappear until finally, only a few centers, the ones that the scientists kept up, remained. Then, he saw Earth from outer space, crowded and devastated. It was a disgusting color that reminded him of trash and pollution. After the visions, his sight began to darken, and when he opened his eyes again, he was back in his bed.

"What the hell was that?" He wondered aloud.

Parker sat up and checked the clock. It was early morning. Sort of. Time on the venture star, while traveling, did not flow the same was as it did on Earth, it went by slightly faster. It was probably the biggest folly of space travel. Everyone on Earth got older while the space traveler remained close to the same age.

He looked over at the computer. He definitely didn't _want_ to talk to anyone right now, but despite himself, he stood up, threw a shirt and slacks on, and turned the computer on. He checked his email first, and immediately regretted it. It was full of messages. Thousands upon thousands of little, annoying messages. They were all just waiting to be opened and frowned at.

He rejoiced a little at the fact that he kept his RDA e-mail separate from his personal email, and opened a new conference and sent a request to the RDA headquarters. The call was answered almost immediately, and he was met by two faces. John and Anthony, two of his top people, both heads of their own departments. John was stern, with almost black eyes, dark skin, and a shaved head. Anthony sported tan skin and dark, curly hair. Both wore the expensive, classy suits that gave RDA personnel the nickname 'suits.'

"Heard about your little accident." Anthony said. "I don't know what you plan to do, but we've really stepped in it this time."

"People are furious, Parker," Continued John. "Unobtanium _was_ a huge market."

"I know. I didn't call to get chewed out, thanks." Parker said grumpily. "I called because I've been given a solution."

"A solution for what? The billions of dollars we'll lose?" Anthony retorted.

"No, a solution for the toxins in the environment."

"Oh, so now we're gonna fix this by hugging trees?" Anthony snapped.

"You know I love your shining attitude Anthony, couldn't bear to go another day without it." Parker said sarcastically, emitting a grunt from the curly-haired man. "There's a good haul of unobtanium on the ship, but we've got bigger problems than that now. We can't keep ignoring the fact that every day, Earth's atmosphere becomes harder to breathe."

"They must have done a real number on you, Parker." John chuckled. "Since when did you care about all of that? If anything, you and the rest of the RDA are responsible for it."

"I know. But we can come back from that."

"How?"

"By introducing Pandoran plants to Earth."

"How will that even work? What about the risks involved?"

"If it's for the sake of humanity, we'll just have to risk it. There are Pandoran plants already on Earth, and so far they've been successful in repairing the environment."

"So we're just going to turn around and start telling people that we're going to do this?" Anthony asked.

"No," Parker began. "We need to begin by researching alternative energy sources. And we need to keep it quiet. If we announce all of this at once, it'll just raise more suspicion. We'll let information of what we're doing leak out, that way it'll spread around, but we will not confirm or deny it, understand?"

"Yes, but where will the money for this effort come from? We can't just dig up new revenue." John commented.

"Well, we won't be making many space expeditions for a long time with the way things are currently. The funding from the space program will need to go into this."

The men both looked shocked, mouths agape.

"That's our largest program, are you saying you're shutting it down?" Anthony retorted.

"There isn't a choice, and returning to Pandora isn't something we'll be doing again, so it's best to use what we have from the space exploration and Pandora projects to fund our research." Parker said.

"Also, we're going to have a new helper, Brenna Selfridge. My sister." He added.

"Parker, this is too much! She's the leader of one of the biggest organizations against what we're doing!" Anthony practically yelled, eyes wild with indignation.

"We're changing our ways, Anthony, and however slowly that happens, it's still what's necessary." Parker said.

He sighed; _he_ didn't even know what he was saying. But, however grudgingly, he had to admit that he was beginning to really feel the scale of what was wrong and what needed to be done.

"Why would you have this sudden change of heart, Parker? And now of all times, this isn't like you at all." John said.

"I... I don't know." Parker said. "I feel like I was sleeping, and someone dumped a bucket of cold water over me or something."

"If you say so." Anthony says. "I guess we ought to get started, then?"

"Yes, start immediately. Thanks for meeting with me today."

The transmission ended.

* * *

Well, hope everyone found this chapter interesting. My apologies again that it was such a long time coming. Life catches up to you, eh?

So anyways, remember to fave and/or review if you like!

**Fun fact:** The helocoradian plant is based off of the Christmas Tree worm.

Eywa ngahu


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